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B2B marketing is boring—unless Hootsuite is behind it...
The 4 creator campaigns that proved B2B doesn’t have to be boring (plus a playbook you'll want to steal)
AJ Eckstein
April 17, 2025
What’s up y’all —
Today, we’re spotlighting a marketer who’s redefining what B2B campaigns can look like on LinkedIn.
Meet Eileen, Influencer Marketing Manager at Hootsuite, and the creative force behind some of the most original, most talked-about LinkedIn campaigns of the past year. From oversized newspapers to rotary phones you can actually call, Eileen and her small-but-mighty team are showing just how fun and impactful B2B can be when creators are part of the strategy.
Oh, and I interviewed her in the latest episode of our exclusive live event series, MONEY MONDAY$. Check out the interview below:
Yes, LinkedIn campaigns.
Yes, B2B.
And yes, actually creative.
Let’s get into it.
Eileen is part of a 4-person team at Hootsuite, and they’ve quietly been setting the bar for what influencer marketing should look like in the B2B space.
These aren’t just product pushes, these campaigns are building community, generating brand love, and driving real conversions. And at the core of it all? A creative-first mindset and a deep respect for the creator’s voice.
We broke down four of their most effective campaigns, and pulled out the key tactics any brand or creator can learn from. Let’s get into it…
What it looked like:
A real, working rotary phone sent to 4 LinkedIn creators, launching a hotline-style campaign where creators act as a “help desk” for fellow social media marketers — complete with teaser posts, desk plaques, and yes, a phone number you can actually call.
How it worked:
The campaign kicked off with a native teaser post styled like a classic “happy to announce” job update — featuring a GIF and a real, live phone number
That post led into a follow-up where each creator posted a branded photo at their “Social Media Help Desk,” inviting DMs with questions
Each creator received a custom Hootsuite-branded rotary phone + desk plaque as part of the physical influencer gifting strategy
Posts came from: Brandon Smithwrick, Jayde I. Powell, Jazmin Griffith, and Sophie Miller
The message: Social media marketers often feel isolated, under-resourced, and under pressure to prove ROI — so why not give them a hotline to creators who get it?
📊 Results so far:
8 total sponsored posts
4 creators
1,870+ engagements across the campaign launch
Countless DMs, calls, and conversations sparked
Why it worked:
It was weird, in the best way possible. A working phone number? On LinkedIn? That alone stopped people mid-scroll.
The physical gifting wasn’t just pretty, it created a moment. A setup. A literal scene people could react to.
The campaign didn’t just talk about creator expertise, it activated it, turning creators into an actual help desk for marketers who needed advice.
💡 Takeaway:
This campaign combined physical creativity, real-time interaction, and native platform engagement, proving again that the most effective B2B campaigns are the ones that actually surprise and involve the audience.
What it looked like:
A physically oversized newspaper printed with Hootsuite’s “2024 Social Media Trends Report” shipped to creators who featured it in posts, vlogs, and scroll-stopping photos.
How it worked:
Inspired by the trend of oversized IRL marketing (Poppi, J.Crew, etc.)
Hootsuite printed and shipped giant newspapers to creators as campaign props
There were two phases to the campaign:
Newspaper held upright, teasing that trends were “making headlines”
Interior shots featuring creators inside the paper, each highlighting the trend they resonated with most
Why it worked:
It was physical + digital. It was scroll-breaking. It triggered a ton of earned media from people not even in the campaign. And even though it was a heavy lift logistically (shipping, design, creative approvals), the results spoke for themselves.
Lesson learned:
If you’re running a 2-part content drop like this, create unique landing pages to track conversions separately for each phase. Plus, it’s okay to take inspiration from B2C campaigns (like Poppi and J.Crew) to bring them in our wild world of B2B.
What it looked like:
Creators received custom whiteboards in Hootsuite’s brand colors and wrote bold, relatable takes about being a social media manager, like “Social media is not an intern’s job.”
How it worked:
Supported the Social Media Career Report, which highlighted pay gaps, challenges, and tips for growth in the social media industry
Instead of templatized messaging, creators were given blank whiteboards and asked to write something personal that resonated with the report
Each post was authentic, visually simple, and emotionally sticky
Why it worked:
Because it was real. The format stood out in the feed, and the copy was written by actual creators — not brand voice guidelines.
Even better? This was Hootsuite’s first ever LinkedIn creator campaign — and it helped them find their groove.
What it looked like:
A clever twist on LinkedIn’s “new job” update. But instead of a promotion, creators announced they had unlocked more social budget using Hootsuite’s social listening tools.
How it worked:
Hootsuite had just acquired Talkwalker, expanding into advanced social listening
The campaign goal was to reposition Hootsuite as a performance marketing platform, not just a scheduler
8 creators posted native-style job announcement posts styled with custom GIFs and “you’ve been promoted” badges
Posts explained how data from social listening helped secure bigger budgets
Why it worked:
It looked like LinkedIn. It felt familiar. It wasn’t an ad. It slipped right past ad-blindness and into conversation, exactly what you want from native creative.
💡 Bonus gems from Eileen:
Creative disruption is the name of the game, go bold, go physical, go unexpected
Trust and communication matter more than the creator’s follower count which is why you should have live intro calls with your high profile creators
Let creators post in a format that feels natural to them, not what the brand prefers
Most underrated idea? Reward your customers with love, not just creators — turn them into ambassadors too
This was one of the most tactical conversations we’ve had yet, packed with inspiration and real-world examples you can steal today.
This was a masterclass in how to not be boring on LinkedIn.
Whether you're a marketer running B2B campaigns or a creator trying to land high-trust brand deals, the playbook’s right here.
That was a fun breakdown… what brand should I do a deep dive into next?
Catch you in the next one!!